There was a time when Castlemorn surged and crackled with magic. But it came to a violent and deadly end! Today, Mournans dwell amid the ruined shards of their former greatness, calling the land Castlemourn, not remembering the time before the Fall. However, the land itself is restless, long-lurking mysteries are stirring, and Castlemourn needs heroes now more than ever! From Ed Greenwood, the famed creator of the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, comes this introduction to the fantasy world of Castlemourn, rich in storytelling and adventure.
The art throughout the book is a combination of traditional art, with some very nice watercolors, and computer art. There are some nice new magic items and spells introduced, shell magic (it’s a costal setting) and lots of item magic centered around the idea that many normal items carry a latent magical signature from Before the Fall that must be “awoken” by the user. Also included are a few new monsters, some are pretty cool, like the Sharae, humans twisted by magic during the Fall, similar to Deep Ones. Tangleclaws are super-creepy spiderlike aberrations, but they don’t seem to have any purpose in life, despite their high intelligence. There are some really exciting locations, like the Haunthills Portals, and the idea that adventurers travel to the Mourna via estemels or magical gateways; the trick is getting back to whence you came, as the gates are one way! One of the best aspects of this book is how NPCs are written up: they get a basic stat block (Uldrinath Sedmond, NE Male Human Cleric 12 of Haelarr CR12) followed by an amazingly interesting and detailed description and a large, character-rich portrait. There’s a great, detailed and long timeline in the back of the book, very interesting reading. And, best of all, there’s a large fold-out map in the back that you don’t have to tear out. The setting is large, but all coastal, and could be dropped into any un- or under-explored area in your setting. All-in-all, worth the money and time.
